


Natasha Loves Clinton Barton

by TheBoyWhoWalksInTheLight



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: ASL, ClinTasha if you squint, F/M, Fluff, Fluffy fluff fluff fluff, Maybe inaccurate (idk) ASL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-02-18 08:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2341727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBoyWhoWalksInTheLight/pseuds/TheBoyWhoWalksInTheLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint Barton realizing that Natasha is absentmindedly fingerspelling stuff to herself all the time to keep her hands limber while she learns ASL.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Natasha Loves Clinton Barton

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea from a head cannon created by both http://officialnatasharomanoff.co.vu/ and http://lifeywifey.tumblr.com/. So credit for that goes to them. Go check out their blogs cause they're awesome people. Also check out 'officialnatasharomanoff's AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/users/ThoughtfulConstellations.  
> The original prompt can be found here: http://lifeywifey.tumblr.com/post/98019120857/officialnatasharomanoff-lifeywifey-clint  
> I hope I've done it justice!

Clint wakes up slowly, like any morning that he's not on a mission, and gradually rolls himself to the edge of the bed. Beside the bed is a mountain of laundry, precisely placed, so that Clint can continue to roll until he's sitting on the floor. He grins to himself, of course he realises how ridiculous his system is, but, hey, he's lazy. He stretches for his bedside table and pops in his hearing aids.  
"Barton!?" Natasha calls from outside his door, "You better be up now, or you'll regret it. We're late!"  
Damn, the debrief with Fury. Yesterday they saved New York, again. What was it - the third time this year, and it's only April.  
"Coming!" he groans. He knows that if he doesn't get his butt into gear, Natasha would be kicking it later. He stumbles into some clothes and staggers to the door. The open door reveals the disapproving gaze of one Black Widow. Her arms are crossed and one hip is cocked. "Mornin', Tash."  
"Good morning, Clint," she says, she drops her arms but her gaze does not soften, only gain a hint of amusement at his bedraggled state. She fiddles with her hands - he doesn't see much of it before they're hidden behind her back, however, it looks like she was fingerspelling. A frown crosses his face but doesn't comment. He quickly brushes it off, they had more important things to deal with - such as an angry Fury.

He sees it again. In the meeting, while she attentively listens to Fury she absentmindedly spells things out with her fingers. He catches bits and pieces, phrases that come out of Fury's mouth, comments on the team mates like : + I wonder what Tony's fiddling with + and +Thor looks hilarious in those ducky jammies+. And another jumps out at him: + I love Clinton Barton +. His chest fills up with warmth; not only does she love him - he knew that all ready, even if she hadn't so much said it out loud, but only in actions - but that she loves him enough to bother learning and practicing ASL all the time. He knew it was hard at first, your fingers got tired from constant use and your hands would cramp up.  
He's deep in thought when the meeting ended and he doesn't notice when everyone else rose and left. Tasha left too, still spelling things out on her fingers. Upon the realisation that everyone has left, he too gets up. He finds the nearest air-con duct and hoists himself up and begins scampering to the dining hall - he hasn't even had breakfast yet.

As Clint thinks over the past days and weeks he tries to remember how long Natasha has been practicing. He's surprised to realise that she's been doing it a long time, and he didn't even notice! It almost makes him tear up, how much Nat must care for him - but no, Clint Barton doesn't cry (well maybe a bit). They've worked together for years, but it has only just begun to dawn on Clint over the past few months or so how much he loves her and how much she loves him, even in the simple things. It's foreign to him, that he could love someone and they could love him in return, it's exciting and nerve-wracking and overwhelming and insane. And he can't even begin to describe what seeing Tasha actively learning ASL does to his heart.

The next day as he and Tasha talk, they're hanging out in his apartment and she's doing it again - it blows his mind how he didn't notice before now - her hands are sitting in her lap, discreetly. He can't stand the build-up of emotion anymore, he gently grabs both hands and kisses each fingertip one by one and gingerly places them back in her lap. By the look that she gives him - all soft and tender, an expression rarely seen on Natasha's face - she understands, but she makes no comment and they carry on the conversation as it was before.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This is the first fic I've ever posted, so I hope you enjoyed it :) I know it's super short but I just wanted to get something out there.


End file.
